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In typical fashion, a press release issued by FujiFilm read: “…effective July 1, 2010, its Endoscopy Division will be realigned as a subsidiary of FujiFilm Medical Systems U.S.A., Inc.” This nicely written turn of phrase actually says, “we’ve hit a reset button and moved the Endoscopy Division to make it more dynamic, successful and true to our original mission.” Re-alignment is typically a response to economic downturn, but it’s also an excuse to rediscover the heart and soul of a company that’s been lost over time.

A Return to Your Roots

It’s easy for a successful business to loose track of its original mission statement, but the first step in realigning a business requires a look back at company roots to examine how the firm has evolved since that mission statement was drafted. Dynamics that drove your start up can be financial, spiritual, social or entrepreneurial in nature, but if the inspiration that launched your vision has disappeared in the wake of expansion, bureaucracy, growth or excessive staffing, it’s incumbent upon you to examine what’s been lost to reset this vision.

Instant or Gradual, that is the Question

When FujiFilm announced the re-alignment of their Endoscopy Division, the move likely didn’t happen overnight. Some entrepreneurs are blindsided and don’t see trouble down the road so they don’t have the luxury of a gradual realignment. For that reason, preparing can be as important as the crisis plan many firms create so they’re prepared for catastrophic events. According to C.V. Harquail, whose article “5 Tips About Re-aligning Organizations I Learned by Falling Off A Horse” recounts his own realignment experience, “Organizations and their members get plenty of warnings.” Take a hard look at the road your company has traveled to check for divergent paths.

Re-align Personnel Policies

Take a cold, hard look at your company's employee roster and assess the size of your staff. This facet of your realignment campaign should be predicated on both numbers and quality. It’s easy to become staff-heavy when money rolls in, but when it becomes evident that realignment isn’t just desirable, but critical for survival, manicuring staff is essential. In addition to numbers, maintaining quality throughout your rank and file is crucial, so use your realignment mission to cull folks who are not pulling their weight or haven’t shown that they’re emotionally vested in your corporate mission.

Realign Your Marketing Strategies

The advertising and marketing you’ve relied upon to generate business may be costing more than it’s worth, so a facet of your realignment plan should include a shift to social media, public relations and customer recommendations that will better serve you as you tighten your belt and make do with less cash and personnel. Perhaps you stopped using the simple strategies you employed when building your business -- handing out business cards, incentivizing customers for new client referrals or finding creative ways to promote products or services -- because it’s become easier to write a check for an ad. Realignment calls for bringing back simpler ways of marketing in keeping with contemporary communication trends and your bottom line.

Realign Your Business Model

California landscaper Genevieve Schmidt saw it coming: the economic downturn that triggered foreclosures was likely to impact her business, so she dramatically adjusted her business plan. “Before the housing market came to a halt and new landscaping projects dramatically declined, I shifted my business focus.” Schmidt realigned her business, concentrating on upscale landscape maintenance to make up in dollars what she projected would be lost when smaller contracts were cancelled. Personnel changes were necessary, but Schmidt successfully realigned her business. Use her story as your inspiration if realignment is at the top of your business's must-do list.

About the Author

Based in Chicago, Gail Cohen has been a professional writer for more than 30 years. She has authored and co-authored 14 books and penned hundreds of articles in consumer and trade publications, including the Illinois-based "Daily Herald" newspaper. Her newest book, "The Christmas Quilt," was published in December 2011.